CC. PSMB. MCQ

 

Multiple Choice Questions

Attempt MCQ TEST

1. A news story is said to possess timeliness if it
1. stresses events that have occurred in the last month. 
2. stresses events that occurred today or yesterday. 
3. has been written within the last six hours. 
4. has been read or heard within the last six hours.

Answer. B stresses events that occurred today or yesterday. 

2. What are the two primary categories of news stories?
1. Hard news and soft news
2. Hard news and long news
3. Soft news and advertisements 
4. Long news and short news

Answer. a. Hard news and soft news

3. Journalists recognise two types of news stories: hard and soft. In this regard,
1. “Hard news” is about weird topics, like science and economics, and “soft news” is about things like entertainment and fashion. 
2. “Hard news” stories have long, complicated sentences, and “soft news” stories have short, simple sentences. 
3. “Hard news” is about serious topics and recent events, and “soft news” refers to human interest stories. 
4. “Hard news” stories are always 2,000 words or more, and “soft news” stories never exceed 500 words.

Answer. C -“hard news” is about serious topics and recent events, and “soft news” refers to human interest stories. 

4. Public or civil journalism is a movement that says
1. Journalists should do what they can to support broad involvement in public affairs. 
2. The best journalism is that which focuses exclusively on public affairs and ignores such things as sports and entertainment. 
3. Journalists should reveal every step they take in the reporting process to regain public confidence. 
4. Journalists should provide only the news the public wants to read or hear.

Answer. Journalists should do what they can to support broad involvement in public affairs. 

5. One of the goals of public journalism is to
1. Make horse-race coverage of politics more interesting. 
2. Publish information desired by political elites rather than the general public. 
3. Encourage people to participate in democracy. 
4. Emphasise the voices on the extremes of the political spectrum and not the centre.

Answer c. encourage people to participate in democracy. 

6. Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that leads to inaccuracies in news reports?
1. carelessness and laziness 
2. lack of understanding of the topic 
3. use of generalities instead of specifics 
4. having editors check and question a reporter’s work

Answer. D having editors check and question a reporter’s work

7. Bias is most likely to appear in a news story when
1. the reporter relies on multiple sources and gives abundant time or space to all sides of a controversy. 
2. the reporter’s story is reviewed by a large number of editors and supervisors. 
3. the reporter is writing about a topic that she or he already knows a lot about. 
4. the reporter relies on one source or gives disproportionate time to space to one side of a controversy.

Answer. d. The reporter relies on one source or gives disproportionate time to space to one side of a controversy.

8. Which part of the letter identifies the person who is preferred to address the concerns of the letter?
1. Signatory 
2. Attention line 
3. Closing line 
4. Complimentary close 

Answer. B. Attention line 

9. Which word or phrase on the business letter tells the mail clerk to deliver the letter to the recipient unopened?
1. For the attention of 
2. Subject 
3. Courtesy copy 
4. Confidential 

Answer. D. Confidential 

10. Which part of the business letter states that a brochure is placed in the envelope?
1. Attention Line
2. Reference 
3. Carbon copy 
4. Enclosure 

Answer. D. Enclosure 

11. Which of these must be avoided in business letters?
1. Polite words
2. Formal words
3. Abbreviations
4. Clear details

Answer C. Abbreviations

12. Where should the name of the firm be mentioned?
1. Right of the page
2. Below the address of the writer
3. Above the address of the writer
4. On the last page of the letter

Answer B. Below the address of the writer

13. Where are the details of enclosures mentioned?
1. Beginning of the letter
2. Below the signature column
3. Right-hand side of the letter
4. Main body of the letter

Answer: b. Below the signature column

14. Libel is ________.
1. Malicious defamatory joke
2. Malicious defamatory written accusation 
3. Slander 
4. Defamatory speech

Answer. b. Malicious defamatory written accusation

15. Which of the following is not a common form of business communication.
1. emails
2. Data reports
3. presentation
4. physical mails

Answer D    physical mail

16. Why is it important for a news report to prioritize accurate and balanced information?
1. Because it ensures the journalist’s personal opinions are reflected
2. Because it helps readers form informed opinions
3. Because it guarantees higher ratings for the news outlet
4. Because it allows the journalist to sensationalize the story

Answer: B) Because it helps readers form informed opinions

17. What role does attribution play in a news report?
1. It provides the journalist with confidential sources
2. It ensures the news report is biased
3. It gives credit to the original sources of information
4. It confuses readers by providing conflicting information

Answer: C) It gives credit to the original sources of information

18. Why is providing background information important in a news report?
1. To entertain readers with unrelated stories
2. To distract readers from the main story
3. To provide context and understanding of the events
4. To speculate about future events

Answer: C) To provide context and understanding of the events

19. What is the purpose of including a summary in the conclusion of a news report?
1. To introduce new and unrelated information
2. To call readers to action
3. To provide a brief overview of the main points
4. To criticise the sources used in the report

Answer: C) To provide a brief overview of the main points

20. Why should a news report avoid sensational or biased language?
1. To maintain the journalist’s personal integrity
2. To confuse readers and create controversy
3. To ensure the report is engaging and entertaining
4. To uphold the principles of objectivity and fairness

Answer: D) To uphold the principles of objectivity and fairness

21. Which of the following is an important element to include in a press report on an accident?

1. The weather forecast for the day of the accident
2. Personal opinions about the cause of the accident
3. Eyewitness accounts of the accident
4. Speculative information about the individuals involved

Answer    (C) Eyewitness accounts of the accident.

22. In a press report on an accident, why is it important to include accurate and objective information?
1. To ensure transparency and credibility
2. To avoid misinterpretation or bias
3. To provide reliable information to the public
4. All of the above

Answer   (D) All of the above.

23. What action does the manufacturer expect from the recipient regarding orders during the agency withdrawal period?
1. To send orders directly to the manufacturer
2. To cease all orders until fresh arrangements are made
3. To continue dealing with the terminated agent
4. To seek alternative agents for order

Answer. a) To send orders directly to the manufacturer

24. What is the role of eyewitness accounts in accident reporting?
1. They are not relevant
2. They provide crucial first-hand information
3. They are purely for dramatic effect
4. They are used for humour

Answer    b they provide crucial first-hand information

25. What should a responsible journalist prioritize when reporting on accidents?
1. Sensationalism
2. Accuracy and objectivity
3. Personal opinions
4. Speed over precision

Answer    B Accuracy and objectivity

26. Inquiry letters are letters that: 
1. Ask for more information about a product or service. 
2. Ask for credit. 
3. Try to reactivate business. 
4. Ask for an adjustment.

Answer A. Ask for more information about a product or service. 

27. Technical accuracy of language in a letter means: 
1. Active voice 
2. Direct narrative 
3. Simplicity 
4. Correctness of grammar, spelling, and punctuation

Answer D. Correctness of grammar, spelling, and punctuation

28. ________ of the letter consists of the main message. 
1. Heading 
2. Body 
3. Greeting 
4. Closing 

Answer B. Body 

29. When asking several questions in a letter, you can make them more obvious by: 
1. Putting all the questions in the closing paragraph. 
2. Numbering the questions. 
3. Putting all questions in the opening paragraph. 
4. Putting all the questions in passive voice

Answer B. Numbering the questions. 

30. Which of these is not mentioned in a letter of complaint? 
1. Ordered quantity of goods 
2. Problems in the supply of goods 
3. Features in the supply of goods 
4. Fault in the supply of goods 

Answer C. Features in the supply of goods 

31. In the opening paragraph of an application to become an agent for a manufacturer, which of the following actions should be taken by the applicant?
1. Making a reference to the manufacturer’s advertisement.
2. Listing previous job experiences.
3. Discussing personal interests unrelated to the agency.
4. Requesting detailed information about the manufacturer’s products.

Answer    A) Making a reference to the manufacturer’s advertisement.

32. What factor determines the structure of the opening paragraph when writing to a manufacturer for agency?
1. The applicant’s previous experience in dealing with manufacturers.
2. The applicant’s knowledge of the manufacturer’s products and industry.
3. The applicant’s understanding of the agency’s requirements.
4. The applicant’s ability to articulate their intentions clearly and professionally.

Answer    B) The applicant’s knowledge of the manufacturer’s products and industry.

33. Hard news is : 
1. Cultural news 
2. Daily public news 
3. Background information 
4. Box

Answer    b) Daily public news 

34. Which among the given options cannot be considered as a major factor in the editing process? 
1. Checking
2. Cutting 
3. Conflict 
4. Changing 

Answer    c) Conflict 

35. Letters to the editor are included in: 
1. Sports page 
2. Last page 
3. Editorial page 
4. Local page

Answer    c) Editorial page

36. Removing unwanted area of picture is called _______
1. Cropping 
2. Creeping 
3. Crossing 
4. Crawling

Answer    a) Cropping 

Match the following

1. Formal Letter	a. Letters that are written in a strict and specific format.
2. Informal Letter	b. Casual and personal letters
3. Yours faithfully	c. Formal letter Closing
4. Attention line	d. A line of text after the address in a letter
5. Signatory	e. signature to enter into a binding agreement

1. Date and Location	a. Information of day and place
2. Headline	b. A taster of what you can expect
3. Sub- heading	c. Provide an eye catching detail of the story
4. Lead	d. Brief overview of the story
5. Body	e. Explanation of the information provided in the lead

1. Letterhead	a. Sender’s return address
2. Inside address	b. The address of the intended recipient
3. Dear Mr. Shah	c. Formal title and last name in the greeting
4. Body	d. Articulates the message
5. Conclusion	e. Restates the main points and may include a call to action

1. Salutation	a. Dear Sir
2. Body	b. Content paragraph
3. Subject	c. Reason
4. Address	d. TJPS House, Thane
5. Complimentary close	e. Yours faithfully

The Power of a Plate of Rice -Leaderships Skills

 

Leadership skills 

The Power of a Plate of Rice 

-by Ifeoma Okoye

Read the short story 'A Plate of Rice' by Ifeoma Okoye and then answer the questions that follow.

I walked hurriedly to Mr. Aziza's office, breathing heavily in steadily rising anger. Aziza's The January sun was blazing in fury, taking undue advantage of the temporary withdrawal of the seasonal harmattan. As I arrived at the office, which was at the end of the administration block, I remembered one of mother's precepts: "Do nothing in anger. Wait till your anger melts like thick palm oil placed under the sun." Mother was a philosopher of sorts. Poor woman. She passed away before I could reward her for all the sacrifices she made on my behalf, forgoing many comforts just so that I could get some education, and for carrying the financial burden of the family during my father's protracted illness and even after his premature death. In deference to mother, I stood by Mr. Aziza's door for a few seconds, trying to stifle my anger, but failing woefully. Only an angel or an idiot would remain calm in my situation.

At last I knocked on the mottled green door.

"Come in."

Mr. Aziza's authoritative voice hit me like a blow, startling me. I opened the door and walked in, my anger still smouldering.

Mr. Aziza, the Principal of the secondary school where I was teaching, was seated behind a medium-sized desk made of cheap white wood and thickly coated with varnish. Books, files, letter trays, and loose sheets of paper jostled for a place on the desk. He raised his coconut-shaped head, closed the file he was reading, removed his plastic framed spectacles and peered at me.

"Yes, Mrs. Cheta Adu. What do you want?" His voice was on the defensive and the look on his ridged face was intimidating.

We were paid irregularly. Although it was the end of January, the salary in question was for the October of the previous year. Four months without any salary and yet we went to work regularly.

"Yes, I did, Mrs. Cheta Adu.' Mr. Aziza's small, narrow eyes pierced me like a lethal weapon. As one teacher had put it, he paralysed his prey with his eyes before dealing a death blow to them.

"What have I done, Sir?" I asked, trying to load the word 'Sir' with as much sarcasm as I could to indicate how I felt inside.

Mr. Aziza fingered his bulbous nose, a part of his body which had been the butt of many a teacher's joke. He was known to love food more than anything else, and one female teacher had once said that most of what he ate went into his nose.

"You were away from school without permission for four days last week," Mr Aziza finally declared.

My anger, which a few minutes ago had reduced to a simmer, suddenly began to bubble like a pot of ogbono soup when the fire under it is poked.

I said as calmly as I could, "In those four days, Sir, I almost lost my baby. I had already explained the circumstances to you. My baby became very ill suddenly. I had to rush him to hospital. For those four days, Sir, he battled for his life."

"And so?" Mr. Aziza intoned.

Someone knocked at the door and I turned to see the second Vice-Principal's bearded face as he opened it. "I'll be back," a thin lipped, hair-fringed mouth said and disappeared. The appearance of the bearded face was like a comic scene in a Shakespearean tragedy. Christmas and the New Year, a salaried worker was left with little money for the rest of January. And for those who had children in school, paying school fees and buying books and school uniforms for the new school year often became a nightmare. This year was worse for me because I and all the other teachers in the school were last paid in September the year before.

"I am a widow, Sir," I pleaded with Mr. Aziza. "I am the sole bread-winner for my family. Times are hard. My children cannot survive till the end of February without my next salary."

Mr. Aziza said, "I don't want to know, Mrs. Cheta Adu. My decision is final."

He stood up, hitched his trousers, up with his elbows, and walked to a window on his right and peered out of it. He was a small, wiry man, the type mother often told me to be beware of.

Helpless, I stood watching him, a man known for his inflexibility. I knew from my colleagues' experiences that taking my case to the State Schools Management Board would be futile as Mr. Aziza had ingratiated himself with the powerful and high- ranking officers of the Board. As the Principal of one of the elite schools in the state, he had helped their children admitted into his school even when the spoilt ones among them did not pass the entrance examination. I also knew that taking Mr. Aziza to court was out of the question. Where would get I the money for a lawyer? Besides, civil cases had been known to last for months or even years because of unnecessary and often deliberate court adjournments.

Mr. Aziza walked back to his chair and sat down.

I looked hard at him and, without saying anything more, left his office. In a taxi taking me home, I thought about nothing else but Mr Aziza.

This was the second time I had found myself at his mercy. The first time was when, five years ago, I was transferred to his school from a secondary school in Onitsha where I was teaching before my marriage. On reading the letter posting me to his school - I had delivered it to him personally - he had flung it at me and had declared, "I don't want any more female teachers in my school, especially married ones."

"What have we done?", I had wanted to know.

"You're a lazy lot," he had said. "You always find excuses to be away from school. Today it's this child of yours becoming ill who must be taken to hospital, and tomorrow it's the funeral of one relation or another."

When he officially refused to give me a place in his school, I resorted to a tactic I had used always before. I kept calling at his office every day, often without uttering a word, until I broke his resistance and made him accept me. This time, however, I had the feeling that he would not budge, no matter what I did.

When I arrived home after five in the evening, my mother-in-law was walking up and down in front of my flat with my two-year old son, Rapulu, tied on her back, and four-year old Dulue trailing behind her.

"You're late, Cheta," my mother-in-law said. "I was beginning to think you were not going to come home." She looked weary and worried.

"Sorry, Mama, I have some problems at school," I walked to her after hugging Dulue, who had trotted to me. "And how is Rap?" I asked.

"He's ill."

I placed the back of my hand on my younger son's forehead. It was piping hot.

"You're not going to be ill again, Rapulu?" I said under my breath. Aloud I asked, "How long has he been running a temperature, Mama?"

"A short while after you left for school in the morning," my mother-in-law replied.

I helped her untie Rapulu from her back and took him in, Dulue trotting behind me. I stripped Rapulu of his clothes, put him on the settee, fetched a bowl of cold water and a towel and began to sponge him down. He yelled and kicked, but I ignored him. Dulue, with his thumb in his mouth, kept on mumbling that he was hungry, while my mother-in-law stood speechless, watching me.

Presently, I remembered that I should have given Rapulu some fever medicine. I ran into the bedroom in the flat and dashed out with a small bottle. Taking Rapulu in my arms, I gave him a teaspoonful of the bitter-sweet medicine and began to sponge him again.

Mother-in-law soon dozed off. Poor woman, she must have had a trying day. She was a widow too and I had brought her to help me look after my children. Bless her, for what could I have done if she had refused my offer? Another reason why I brought her to live with me was to save costs. I used to send her money every month to supplement the meagre proceeds from her farms.

We had a late lunch of yam and raw palm oil. It was the last piece of yam in the house. I skipped supper because I wanted to make sure that the garri and egusi soup which I had would last for two nights.

The night was a long one. First, I lay awake for fear that Rapulu might become worse, but fortunately the fever did not persist. Then I reviewed all that I had gone through since I lost Afam, my husband who was an only child, in a ghastly motor accident a little more than a year before. He was a brilliant banker. We were at the university together, he studying banking and I mathematics. As luck would have it, we were posted to the same state for our National Youth Service. We became engaged at the end of our service and married shortly after. He died a fortnight after our fifth wedding anniversary and, ever since, my life had become an endless journey into the land of hardship and frustration. I had, under great pressure, spent all our savings to give my husband what my people and his had called a befitting burial, and what I saw as a senseless waste of hard-earned money.

For the better part of the night, I worried over how I was going to pay the January rent, how I was going to feed my two sons and my mother-in-law, and what I was going to do if Rapulu became so ill that he had to be hospitalized again? I already owed two of my friends some money and could not see myself summoning up the courage to go to them again.

I borrowed money again and for two long weeks I managed to feed my family, sometimes going without meals myself. I became irritable, and students complained that I was being too hard on them. My good-natured mother-in-law became equally touchy and nagged me incessantly. My two sons threw tantrums, spending a great deal of time crying. Soon I had no money left and no one to lend me more. I had reached a point when I had to do something drastic or allow my sons to die of hunger.

On the 23rd of February, after school hours, I went to Mr Aziza's office and once again pleaded with him to pay me.

"You're wasting your time, Mrs. Cheta Adu," he said. "I never change my mind. You will receive your salary on the 28th of February and not even one day earlier."

I left his office and waited for him in the outer room. At four o'clock he left his office. I followed him to his house, which was situated near the school main gate, and he turned and asked me why I was following him. I remained silent. He opened the door and walked in. Quietly, I followed him into his sitting room and sat down without any invitation to do so. The room was sparsely furnished. A black and white television stood on top of the shelf next to a small transistor radio. Near them, were a small dining room and a steel back chair.

Mr Aziza lived alone. His wife and six children lived at Onitsha about 100 kilometres away.

Mr. Aziza turned and faced me. "Look, Mrs. Adu, you'll achieve nothing by following me like a dog. You may stay here forever, but you'll not make me change my mind." He disappeared through a door on the right.

Presently, his houseboy walked into the room and began to lay the table. The smell of jollof rice wafted around my nostrils, reactivating in me the hunger which had been suppressed by anger, depression, and desperation. The houseboy finished laying the table and left.

On impulse I left my chair, walked to the dining table and sat down on the chair beside it. Removing the lid on the plate, I stared at the appetising mound of jollof rice. Then I grabbed the spoon beside the plate and began to eat. I ate quickly and not only with relish, but also with vengeance and animosity.

I heard a door squeak and turned to see Mr. Aziza walk into the sitting room. His jaw dropped and his mouth remained open as he stared at me.

"What do you think you're doing, Mrs. Cheta Adu?" he bellowed, finding his tongue at last. Disbelief was written all over his face.

I ignored the question and continued to help myself to the rice. I scooped a large piece of meat into my mouth, my cheeks bulging.

Mr. Aziza strode to the table, snatched the spoon from me with his right hand and with his left snatched the plate of rice away from me. It was almost empty now. I rose from the chair and moved a little bit back from him, thinking he was going to hit me.

He faced me, his eyes deadly. "Get out of my house, I say, get out!"

"Not until I receive my salary," I said calmly. Desperation had given me a form of courage I had not experienced before.

Mr. Aziza barked at me. "Get out. Go to the Bursar. Tell him I said he can pay you now."

I said calmly, "He'll not believe me. Why not give me a note for him?"

He scribbled a note, threw it at me and I grabbed it. Trying hard to suppress a smile, I said, "Thank you, Sir," and left the room, still chewing the rubbery meat in my mouth.